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NES AMMIM – This small, vibrant village founded by European Christians in Israel’s tranquil Galilee region is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The name Nes Ammim is a reference to Isaiah 11:12 and God’s promise to raise a “banner to the nations.” While most interpret the prophet to be speaking of Israel itself, these Christians have their own banner to plant.

“The goal of those who founded Nes Ammim was to start a fresh chapter in Jewish-Christian relations by standing in solidarity with the young state of Israel,” said Pleus Blom, Nes Ammim’s general manager who left a successful banking career in the Netherlands to pursue this work.

Also among the founders was Shlomo Bezeq, an Israeli pioneer of the kibbutz movement who saw the value in planting a Christian village dedicated to reconciliation in the heart of the young Jewish state. But there were many Jews who resisted the idea.

The full article appears in the current issue of Israel Today Magazine.